Howdy Dying in Aggieland

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If this is the same as "Howwww-dee", here's a story for ya.

Up in a certain Ivy League town in Southern Noo Joisey, one of a crew of programmers I was trying to herd into a reasonable facsimile of productive cats was a fella from Houston we called "Doctor E" - short for Doctor Enormous, on account of he was about 6'3" and tipped the scales at around twenty-six stone eleven (for those of you that ain't ruggers or otherwise familiar with the peculiarities of British weights and measures, that's 375 pounds, which was how he liked to enumerate his tonnage). Dr. E had a neatly trimmed beard and a fine head of shaggy dark red curly locks, and he always wore suits with vests, white shirts with very large collars, and fine-looking very wide ties... and black cowboy boots - custom Luccheses - that were almost as wide as they were long. He was also very quiet, and very calm. And he greeted everyone with a long, drawled out "howwww'dee!"

At the Christmas Party one year, I brought my crew in to socialize with the natives. We were a little late, and the festivities were well under way when we arrived. One of the local boys, a big Italian from Purchasing, who was at every company gathering and functioned as a cross among Foole, Clowne, and Bouncer, let go of the secretary he was attempting to dance with, and gyrated across the floor to greet us. "Well, well, look what the cat drug in, we got us the Texans! Yeehaw, youse guys an' Merry fucken Christmas." Several glances were exchanged among The Texans, and there were mumbles of "Yeah, thanks, Merry Christmas, Charlie." Dr. E, of course, came out with his trademark "Howwwww-dee". Charlie danced up to within about an inch of Dr. E and commenced to carry on at maximum volume along the lines of "Howdy? Howdy? Oh, yeah! Howdy! Howdy Doody! Tell me sumpin', Doc - does everybody down is Texass say Howdy all the time? Huh? Howdy? Doo day? Howdy? Is zat how youse guys all say hello? Huh? Howdy? Huh? Huh? Youse always say Howdy?" His act had the attention of the whole room - around a hundred people, mas o menos. Now, Charlie was not a little guy, as might be expected from his role as occasional bouncer, but Dr. E grabbed him by the throat and with no apparent effort pressed him down to his knees - actually, "grabbed" probably is overly aggressive: he simply took a firm hold of that throat with a hand that matched his size 16 foot. He peered somewhat myopically at Charlie and, not loudly, but with the whole room watching with mouths open, it didn't have to be loud, he said, very calmly, "Why no, Charlie, we don't always say Howdy. Sometimes we say 'Get the **** out of my face before I get the urge to stomp you flat and **** all over your corpse' but it's Christmas, so I'll just say 'Howdy, and Merry Christmas, everybody.'" As he said the last bit, he let go of Charlie's throat and looked up at everybody who was watching. I'd venture that about 80% of them either applauded or said something line "Merry Christmas, Dr. E!" It was probably into February before anyone let him pay for his own drinks at the tavern down the way.

Oh - it ain't just a agy thing. Lots of folks still say "Howdy" out here - and a lot of the ones that don't, say "How do?" instead.
 
Inside joke, Prop. Quite some time ago, when we first got use of the icons next to our names, I put the Aggie one next to mine. Roma was new to the board (I think) and saw a post I made in total sarcasm. He lambasted me pretty good in an anti-Ag rant. The response from people was pretty quick and funny. From time to time I will refer to this regarding something he says as if I were an Ag.

It was great fun and nobody got hurt to include farm animals.
 
Call me a hayseed, but I've said "howdy" all my life. Still do to this day. I've never thought of it as an "aggy only" thing, just an East Texas country boy thing.
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I've always said "Howdy", and I say "Be careful" instead of "good-bye." My wife thinks it is aggie, but I said it before I ever knew what an *** an aggie could be. Just cause they claim it, don't make it theirs. Okies steal things- Aggies just make **** up.
 
Loop, that's close but not quite the story. You did post something clearly ironic and other posters attacked you as a real Aggie. I knew you weren't an Ag but went overboard in condemning you as one to add to the absurdity.

"Howdy" is a Texas word that I still use occasionally. The Aggie thing is institutionalizing the expression as a mandatory tradition (again, how unTexan is that?) and then lamenting that not enough New Army Ags are keeping in lock step. That they can go on about it for three or more pages is astonishing.
 
What ******* army? There is only one Army (United States Military Academy at West Point) and it's not those fucks in cs
 
When the President was at Hooterville a couple of months ago, he stood at the podium and said "Howdy Aggies!" While I imagine not one person in that building voted for him he got a rousing "Howdy" in return. I was not surpised by the President, regardless of what you think of his positions and politics, few doubt that he hs a very sharp pol (crushing the Clinton Money Machine proved that), but I was surprised by the crowds response and all of the smiles on all of those aryan faces.
 
So you are supposed to walk around saying howdy to 50,000 other students all day? Could get tiresome eventually.
And yes, I say howdy sometimes, and don't feel that I owe any copyright fees to aggy when I utter the word. They don't own it.
 
I'm an old fart and can't remember the last time I said howdy, if I ever did. I am a native Texan, but my greeting is usually hi or hey. I fail to see how either of them is less friendly than howdy.

After reading some of that thread I doubt that I ever will use the word again.
 
Longtex, holy ****. That story has me in tears I've been laughing so hard. Loved it. Thanks!!! I want to meet Dr E one day.

Listen y'all. I spent 7 of my first 9 years living in Oklahoma (dont throw stones, my parents finally wised up and moved us to Texas) and I've been saying 'Howdy' for a very, very long time. Thanks to that aggy attempt to make ownership of 'howdy' I've restrained myself from using it much. However when in a moment of non-thought it'll still shoot right out of me without hesitation, sometimes leaving ME in shock.

I despise that aggy had tried so hard to own this expression of Texas heritage. F**k'em. I for one am glad that it has died for them.

Aggy is a blemish on everything Texas. They should just change their name to Texas Poly Technical and change the corp to a standard ROTC program to reflect what it REALLY is. Military Institution my ***.
 
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